I canâ€™t believe I went to see them!!!!

nickh · Post by **nickh** » Mon Aug 24, 2009 5:51 pm

I know itâ€™s all a matter of personal taste and this thread isnâ€™t to be taken too seriously but...

Here are a few of mine

Simple Minds â€“ Milton Keynes Bowl 86 (as soon as they came on I realised I didnâ€™t actually like them much, liked them even less by the end)
All About Eve â€“ Hammersmith Odeon â€“ early 88 (couldnâ€™t see much for big hair)
Jesus Jones â€“ ULU 89 sometime (only went to see Dub Sex but stayed for JJ. I donâ€™t know why either)
The Soup Dragons â€“ Town & Country â€“ 90 (only went to see Teenage Fanclub, fucked off before the Soup Dragons â€“ see above)

Yours?

Shamz · Post by **Shamz** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 12:14 pm

Hi, I often peruse the board on quiet days at work, I saw this thread and felt the need to confess mine; Bush at Hammersmith Palais 1999 and Space at the Patti Pavillion in Swansea in 2001 - I was dragged along to both by well meaning friends.

Post by **runcible** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 1:32 pm

I was at that Soup Dragons gig Nick!

My embarassing moments:
Supertramp, Earls Court in about 1983
Elton John, Wembley Stadium, 1984

Part of my past but I'm not ashamed:
All About Eve, Field of the Nephilim, The Mission, Simple Minds...

The worst headline acts I've ever seen:
Primal Scream, Brixton Academy the night it was announced Kurt Cobain was dead
Smashing Pumpkins, the night Billy Corgan did the encore dressed as a clown.

I cringe when I think of those last two.

ononist · Post by **ononist** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 2:47 pm

Worst for me - Primal Scream the night of the Hoping For Palestine show. It was all drum machine and Bobby dancing and nothing else.

ononist · Post by **ononist** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 2:48 pm

Tell a lie. Slint at the Forum. The boringest gig ever which somehow also managed to feature a guitar solo that sounded exactly like Chris Rea. It might have improved but we were back in the pub long before the end.

Greeny · Post by **Greeny** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 3:30 pm

Thanks to the missus (honest!), I've been to see Natalie Imbruglia, Jamie Cullum and Faithless.

However, off my own bat have been Dire Straits, Genesis, Crowded House and Marillion!

Worst gig ever - previously would have been Black Grape at Brixton without a doubt, but that Engineers gig at Bush Hall a few weeks ago was utter, utter shite and in terms of result against expectations has to take the title hands down.

nickh · Post by **nickh** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 3:51 pm

Did you stay for the Soup Dragons Mark? I have to confess I have never heard them but found their jumping to whatever was flavour of the week a bit distasteful and decided not to stick around.

Funnily enough I bought a Slint album on the strength of a review on here although I think that may have been at Koko. Chris Rea, thatâ€™s brilliant.

Sisters of Mercy with Wayne Hussey I also saw but although I thought they were terrible I do take some kind of perverted pride in having seen them.

Post by **runcible** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 4:50 pm

Marillion. Yikes - I had a mini-prog period with an early Genesis obsession and thought Marillion were the closest I'd get so I saw 2 or 3 gigs.

I liked Mother Universe and I'm Free by the Soup Dragons so I went to that gig to see them NOT the Fannies (I know - it gets worse). They were pretty average and then vanished despite being really popular. That was the end of them I think.

I bought Spiderbirds by Slint as everyone said it was one of the greatest albums ever made. I got so little from it I can't say I saw what all the fuss was about.

Shaun · Post by **Shaun** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 6:44 pm

From Saturday...

: The Edge; Malaga 043.jpg (27.99 KiB) Viewed 5184 times

: The Edge again; 360.jpg (44.84 KiB) Viewed 5177 times

: And again; 360-1.jpg (43.02 KiB) Viewed 5177 times

As for back in the day...

I saw Chumbawamba in a local bar years ago, they were awful.
The Scorpions.
Heart at the NEC...my god what was I thinking, I hate the NEC.

Post by **spzretent** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 8:22 pm

Oh no. I am so not going here. Mine are far more embarassing.

tarzan_undies · Post by **tarzan_undies** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 8:37 pm

I saw Big Country at Liverpool Royal Court when I was sixteen. And U2 at the NEC on the Joshua Tree tour the same year.

I had a mad 'thrash metal' period due to John Peel's patronage and managed to see the likes of Napalm Death, Electro Hippies, Dr and the Crippens, Intense Degree et al

I saw the Soup Dargons twice..

I've been to some rubbish gigs, none that imediately spring to mind....

tarzan_undies · Post by **tarzan_undies** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 8:38 pm

spzretent wrote:Oh no. I am so not going here. Mine are far more embarassing.

'fess up!

Post by **MODLAB** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 8:43 pm

OKokok.

Supertramp in 77, I was 7 I did not know better. I did have Crime of the Century.
Have seen Rush a few times. The Hold your Fire tour ended my time with them(shivers).
Signals was a fantastic tour and a great show.
Sade was one I will never live down. SHe begged me for tickets and I pulled the trigger
then she dumped me 2 weeks later.
Primal Scream were in really bad form at Hoping for Palestine. All I can remember is people
all around doing coke. We were sitting in the first row up in the Balcony.
I have a few more.

Most Fillmore shows were amazing, what a great venue.

M

helterskelter · Post by **helterskelter** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 8:54 pm

soup dragons were ok - some good bolanesque pop songs

loved his high fidelity lp - lots of indian influences

Post by **spzretent** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 9:59 pm

tarzan_undies wrote:
spzretent wrote:Oh no. I am so not going here. Mine are far more embarassing.
'fess up!

OK

Some I was dragged to:
Barry Manilow- probably mid 70's
Neil Sedaka- Ditto
Theodore Bikel- from Fiddler On The Roof fame
Donna Summer- She was good.
ELO- when they were caught w/tapes

Some I am embarassed going to of my own free will:
Steely Dan 2003 maybe- walked out at intermission
Radiohead on the Pablo Honey tour. Just another UK indie band(at that time).
Smashing Pumpkins- maybe the worst live band ever.
Red Hot Chili Peppers- Never liked them. No idea why I went but I had the same feeling walking out of an adult movie theater(remember those?).

Supertramp 1977- Loved that show. No problem w/admitting that. I waited overnight for tix to that.
Simple Minds- loads of times. Still not afraid to admit that.

James T · Post by **James T** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 10:37 pm

Smashing Pumpkins a year or so ago. I don't know why I bothered because they had stopped being good by the time they split anyway.

Taking Back Sunday. I was young and naive. Emo was good to me and hadn't been taken over my eye liner and stripy stockings yet.

From Monument To Masses. Their first album is brilliant but what a boring live band!

Post by **BzaInSpace** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 5:36 pm

ononist wrote: ...It was all drum machine and Bobby dancing and nothing else.

Ah c'mon! What else do you need?!

Where I grew up was no big gigs, at least none I went to, but (quite) a few years back I was dragged to see that band that did one big hit 'Teenage Dirtbag'. Can't remember their name....and they were pretty terrible, although they seemed in total disbelief at how such a large crowd were really loving them. Wheatus. That was them....Wheatus. Jesus.

Nice pictures Shaun! Was it a good gig?

Great thread by the way

simonkeeping · Post by **simonkeeping** » Thu Aug 27, 2009 10:40 am

Extreme: December 1992.
I was young and led astray.

clewsr · Post by **clewsr** » Thu Aug 27, 2009 12:35 pm

Seen AC/DC a few times - nothing wrong with that though, but I did see them at the Donington Monsters of Rock festival 1991 - at the tender age of 16 with flying bottles of piss raining down. AC/DC were of course excellent, and the Black Crowes pretty good, but Motely Crew, and Queensryche were pretty awfull.

Since then nothing too embarrasing, A few trips to see Dodgy around the time of their first [good] album, which many might question. Seen a couple of Rubbish Primal Scream gigs in my time too.

We did recently go to see an 80's Revisted night at the Liverpool Arena - Curiosity Killed the Cat, ABC, Bananrama [who were pretty good!], but they were free gueslist tickets, so they don't count, and we left before Rick Astley came on!

Post by **MODLAB** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 7:54 am

omg! i forgot Queensryche and Metallica.

Shaun · Post by **Shaun** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 4:36 pm

BzaInSpace wrote: Nice pictures Shaun! Was it a good gig?

Barry, the last time I saw U2 in concert was in 1993 and the last U2 studio album I bought was in 1997 which was also the last time I went to a stadium gig, so I never ever thought I'd be at the very front of another U2 concert. I probably knew about half the songs (which was a good reminder why I haven't bought a new album for twelve years) and the whole event was beyond being pompous, overblown rock n roll and I kept trying to tell myself that, but I can't kid myself...it was an amazing gig. The songs I already knew took care of themselves for me and only two or three of the others I'd like to hear again (if only I knew what they were called) but the stage was something else. I haven't seen a stage so close up that was so incredible. Yes I already had been told it cost a huge amount to put on but it seemed like going back twenty years and seeing the Floyd only without the drugs (and music). It's not restored my faith in Stadium gigs though.

purespace · Post by **purespace** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 6:04 pm

That's fantastic Shaun and nice pics. I remember seeing U2 in 1985 at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit (Unforgettable Fire tour) and Bono's voice sent shivers up my spine at the time.

My confessions include Eddie Money, .38 Special, Ratt, Adam Ant (quite good as I was in the 10th grade), Billy Idol (only cause The Cult opened), Type O Negative, Pantera (fuck knows on that one).

Pat Garrett · Post by **Pat Garrett** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 9:48 pm

The Supernaturals at the Duchess in Leeds in 1997.

Highlight was one of them playing air guitar on a 15ft ladder.

spacemanrich · Post by **spacemanrich** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 5:44 pm

I remember more of the good shows than the not so good ones. But off the bat, some of the rubbish shows, I've seen include : Mission U.K. (about 8 yrs.ago), Jesus Jones, some Sonic Boom shows's that didn't impress me. See, can't remember any other ones beside those, but I'm sure my memory will eventually come back ...

charles w · Post by **charles w** » Sat Sep 05, 2009 9:53 pm

Pearl Jam 1992, Newcastle, UK......grim.

solarflarez · Post by **solarflarez** » Wed Sep 09, 2009 4:04 pm

Worst gig ; Happy Mondays on the Yes Please tour, 92 (?) a 25 rocks a day crack habit didnt help Shaun Ryder one little bit, they were fuckin awful

Post by **runcible** » Wed Sep 09, 2009 5:20 pm

spacemanrich wrote:I remember more of the good shows than the not so good ones. But off the bat, some of the rubbish shows, I've seen include : Mission U.K. (about 8 yrs.ago), Jesus Jones, some Sonic Boom shows's that didn't impress me. See, can't remember any other ones beside those, but I'm sure my memory will eventually come back ...

This isn't 'the worst gigs you've seen' thread though, it's more of a case of bands you are still amazed you even turned up for.

Post by **spzretent** » Wed Sep 09, 2009 8:10 pm

The ones I mentioned I couldn't even tell if they were good or bad. I just wanted to put a bag over my head.

nickh · Post by **nickh** » Wed Sep 09, 2009 9:33 pm

[/quote]This isn't 'the worst gigs you've seen' thread though, it's more of a case of bands you are still amazed you even turned up for.[/quote]

Correct.

Seeing as people have been good enough to wash their dirty laundry in public, I have thought of a few more. I would hasten to add that none of these bands were particularly bad and I hope people enjoyed themselves, it just begs my original questionâ€¦

The Flatmates - ULU (The only thing I can really remember about this was the two guitar players getting into a fist fight on stage)

The Darling Buds - ULU (They called their fans "The Skullfuck Crew" They were hardly The Meteors)

Doctor & the Medics - Heaven (This was actually pretty good, pre Spirit in the Sky, Ian Astbury came on and did a number with them and Zodiac Mindwarp & the Love Reaction supported, they were shit)

The Primitives - Town & Country Club (for shame

)

burningwheel · Post by **burningwheel** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 12:27 am

The Grateful Dead - wanted to see what all the hype was about. i still don't get it
Indigo Girls - ex-girlfriend thing
Counting Crows - a different ex-girlfriend thing

olan · Post by **olan** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 12:54 pm

I'm embarrassed to admit to The Housemartins and (cringe) The Farm. The all-time low was The Dream Warriors when I was a student. Unsurprisingly all these gigs were failed attempts at pleasing different members of the opposite sex........(sigh)

catweazel · Post by **catweazel** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 6:24 pm

For just a second I was thinking "Hey, you know I haven't seen any duff bands..."

But of course I've got it completely wrong...

Take your pick from most of the tosh at Live8 - all the crap bands I ever saw in one long burst of pain. I have my brother to thank for giving my wife and I his last two pills which made the day at least somewhat pleasurable... but only just.

I only went because I wanted to see the original line-up of Pink Floyd (RIP) - and I cannot say a bad word against The Who who were 1st class in every respect - but the rest was drivel... We left about 5 minutes after Paul Mcartney took to the stage, and that was five minutes too late in my humble opinion.

Yeah, I've seen some stinkers.

catweazel · Post by **catweazel** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 6:26 pm

olan wrote:I'm embarrassed to admit to The Housemartins and (cringe) The Farm. The all-time low was The Dream Warriors when I was a student. Unsurprisingly all these gigs were failed attempts at pleasing different members of the opposite sex........(sigh)

Hold your horses! My drug addled memory reminds me that I ALSO saw the Farm a number of years ago at some reunion thing with the Happy Mondays. WTF was that all about? Only slightly better than Live8 but not much. The Happy Mondays looked like they'd just come out of 20 years of rehab and sounded a right state.

As for The Farm, well...

"All together now, in no man's land...."

(aims gun at head... pulls trigger)

Post by **runcible** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 6:48 pm

catweazel wrote: As for The Farm, well...

"All together now, in no man's land...."

(aims gun at head... pulls trigger)

I'm not ashamed to say I own a 12" of Groovy Train which I think is pretty decent!

spacemanrich · Post by **spacemanrich** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 1:09 am

Speaking of the Happy Mondays, they are playing in S.F. with Psychedic Furs in a few weeks ( i think ) ? I, think I will pass on that. I think it is just Shaun Ryder from the original lineup. Didn't even look at the tix prices, because I knew I wasn't going.

What's wrong with the Housemartins ? I remember one of their albums as, "People Who Grind Themselves to Death" or something like that ?

What's with all these bands touring on the strength of a previous album, does that make sense ? For example : Pixies (Doolittle), Echo&the Bunnymen (Ocean Rain), the Cult (Love), SPZ (LAGWAFIS).

Post by **runcible** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 9:03 am

Wow - thanks for letting me know about The Cult, Rich! Their 'Love' album was one of the most influential of my younger days and they are playing in Leeds so I may well go. Sure they turned into a horrible rock band after but that album is excellent.

Post by **spzretent** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 2:58 pm

spacemanrich wrote: What's with all these bands touring on the strength of a previous album, does that make sense ? For example : Pixies (Doolittle), Echo&the Bunnymen (Ocean Rain), the Cult (Love), SPZ (LAGWAFIS).

They either are or were influenced by the Dont Look Back series of shows.

Andy NO · Post by **Andy NO** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 10:02 am

I was young, still at school, which by the way makes no excuses for paying to see T'Pau at the Hammersmith Odeon aroung '85. That also counts for Erasure and Micheal Jackson's Bad tour at Wembley stadium (the first and last big stadium gig you'll be seeing me at). Laundry really doesn't get any dirtier.

And I remeber going to see the Wonderstuff at Brixton academy expecting some Brummie grebo outfit to support and we got...............................Janes Addiction, how the f*ch did that happen, not complaining though.

solarflarez · Post by **solarflarez** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 2:42 pm

[quote="Andy NO"]I was young, still at school, which by the way makes no excuses for paying to see T'Pau at the Hammersmith Odeon aroung '85.
RE: T'Pau..... Late 80s, my friend and me were chefs at a hotel, T'Pau were staying there , being stuck up pompous twats, cue my mate and i doing very bad things to their meals..... is this why i have bad karma u think??!!